Clinical Prevalence of Hepatitis D Virus Among Hepatitis B Patients in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Northern Iraq

Abstract

Hepatitis D virus (HDV), which occurs as a co‐infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), is a significant public health burden. Currently, there is a scarcity of data regarding this co‐infection in the developing countries. This study aims to address the clinical prevalence of HDV among HBV‐infected patients in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq. This prospective cross‐sectional study, conducted from May to November 2022, screened HBV DNA‐positive patients visiting Sulaimani Teaching Hospital in Sulaymaniyah governorate, Iraq, for anti‐HDV antibodies and HDV RNA. The study included 150 confirmed HBV DNA‐positive patients. Of these, 54.7% were male. The mean age of the patients was 49.1 ± 10.1 (18–68). Serological assessment found that 23 (15.3%) of the patients had anti‐HDV IgG antibodies, suggesting past or chronic HDV infection, while 16 (10.7%) tested positive for anti‐HDV IgM, indicating recent/acute infection. Further molecular analysis confirmed HDV RNA in 15 (10%) of HBV patients, indicating real HDV prevalence. The prevalence of anti‐HDV and HDV RNA did not significantly differ by age, gender, marital status, residency, medical, family or medical history (p > 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated a relatively high HDV prevalence among HBV patients in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq, at 10%, which stresses the need for better screening, health strategies and focused research to combat its impact.